Course: B3R. Shortened to finish at R"8".
Sails: Elliott/Pattison Sailmakers
169LP genoa and Interrupt spinnaker. Doyle main. Backstay at 3.
After the weekend's events, Meredith chose to sail on Argo. Christian in training class.
A training night. Explained to the crew that we are out to have fun and to learn. Learning means making mistakes, understanding what went wrong and why. Determining how to change our actions so as to prevent the same mistakes from occurring in the future. If we finish first but don't learn anything, we have failed; if we finish last but learn well, we have done well. Discussed how much of the horizon is hidden from me by the genoa and that I must trust the genoa trimmer to keep me informed. Related the port/starboard scares from the weekend's NOOD regatta.
Started late. We did not get out to the course till 1818. Were out of position for the start. Skybird started on time and maintained her lead for the entire race, performed reasonably, not quickly, in transitions. We trailed Skybird by some five to seven boat lengths. Argo started well behind, more than 15 boatlengths. Same positions at the first mark. I furled genoa before hoisting spinnaker, no problem with either sail.
Decided to teach Fred how to do bow. Provided step-by-step instruction from the cockpit while Fred worked out the motions on the bow. A few miscommuniciations, but each was straightened out at the time without any issues. Took about 10 minutes to get the kite set, bit more than halfway down the second leg of the course. Fred spotted and self-corrected several issues. We were headed high of the mark during the preparation for hoist, heading about 025*. After hoist, we could bear off to about 055*. Course was 1.14nm on 040*...my fault. I extend the course by 0.4nm, or so.
Argo caught up to us on the downwind leg by raising spinnaker immediately, remaining on starboard tack heading out into to Bay, gybing once, and arriving at the leeward mark a bit behind. Tide rising with a 0.15kt flooding current throughout the race, another reason to head out into the Bay and deeper, faster, water. Had to heat up a bit for the spinnaker douse. Between the extended period preparing and the douse, we ended up heading to the wrong side of the leeward mark and within a few boatlengths. Gybed to make the leeward mark and gybed again at the mark after a two minute board heading due east. No issues deploying genoa.
None of the Albergs were able to lay mark Y"A" from the leeward mark. Each had to tack twice. We were on a lower line than Argo but keeping the same speed or better, though losing a bit of height. TC drives better than I; I can match him when free to concentrate and have good feedback. Crew feedback regarding speed and point could have been better and more frequent. Made the error to tacking into a wake of some seven waves that I did not see. Would have been far better to have taken the wake from the side, rather than ahead. Heading to the wake slowed Constance and allowed Argo to pull ahead by two to three boatlengths.
At the dock reset the starboard genoa lead for the 169LP genoa. A crewmember took on resetting the port side. I did not check. Port side not reset. Problem not revealed till upwind leg from the leeward mark. And yet we kept pace with Skybird on tbe first leg despite the leech over tight, closing the sail, and the foot over slack. Not visible to me from the high side of the boat. Parade to R"8" from Y"A".
Fred demonstrated to Eric how to pack spinnaker after returning to the dock. Showed Heather the three valves for the engine (raw water, fuel, and exhaust), had her operate them.
Very good night. Good learning. Just the right amount of wind for teaching. Lovely sunset over the town. Crew cheerfully helped to removed the racing sails and put away the boat.
Finishing order: 550, 247, 262. Did not compete: 272
T2P.tv video.
GPX formatted track Distance: 5.34nm, estimated average speed: 4.01kts, estimated duration: 1:19